Update as of September 09, information
an entering yacht should know; In
the last year many letters have been received and published by
TCP reporting on positive experiences entering via yacht. While
these are good to have the problem is good experience isn't yet
universal. Customs enforcement is regionally controlled. The
Queensland district has been the area of concern from the start.
Even in Queensland it seems it is also the personnel at the particular
port. Working from the same set of laws, other districts have
had no reports while Queensland has made headlines and a few
ports have had repetitive confrontations. Bundaberg exceeds the
rest. Complicating the matter there, a marina manager is on record
stating that boats should be subject to the harsh treatment experienced
by some boats there (forced removal
of crew with destructive search) and that any port that doesn't
operate similarly is derelict in their duty. An official in the
local sailing club that is involved in international regattas
is reported to be a former AQIS agent herself and supportive
of the harsh treatment of entering yachts. This person is on
record as stating as long as most entering yachts are
treated well there should be no complaint! False rumours concerning
persons charged by customs at Bundaberg have been propagated
through the web via forums with sources claimed to be from Bundaberg.
Bundaberg is an excellent choice for entry for every other reason
except the bureaucracy and a few local business people. Once
in town and up river, boats will find one of the best seasonal
shelters and provisioning centres in Australia. Most boats do
report positively but it does seem to be a matter of chance..
do you feel lucky? If not, expect hostility from some of the
locals (see TCP # 34 pgs10-11
and TCP # 35 pgs10-11-12). Brisbane
and Cairns have also had multiple negative reports. Gladstone,
Mackay and Bowen have no reports and Townsville and Mooloolaba
have nothing serious on their record. None of the vessels charged
by customs over the last several years has been charged with
any offence other than administrative. In fact one has to look
back over a decade ago to find a noteworthy smuggling reported
via yacht whilst reports of heroin or cocaine arrests come from
airports
and commercial shipping depots daily. Yacht crews are extraordinarily
law abiding. To view some of the
positive accounts of entry see the letters section in TCP
#'s 27,
29 , 33 and the latest issue,
# 38 has a good report from a
Norwegian vessel. TCP reports have been factual! TCP has
never been forced to make a correction in reportage on any subject
due to error or neglect. However, in an article taking information
from Bundaberg sources on Customs issues, the magazine Cruising
Helmsman, was requested and did correct errors regarding
comments mistakenly attributed and to pay TCP for legal costs.
(TCP# 35 pgs 4 &10) IT
should be noted... from the material above that most Customs
personnel are decent people.
What the above does show is that bad legislation in the hands
of idiots is dangerous.

What do the sailors say that have
confronted Australian customs.........

A SMALL sample of letters recieved concerning
dealings with Customs.

From TCP 26

G'day mate,

Last year (2006) I sailed the Louissiades to Samurai (Again)
and back to Australia. Prior to departure at the Townsville Customs
office while clearing out, the officer pointed out the 48hr(!)
reporting rule to me but stated 'We understand it's difficult
for small boats to comply, so just do the best you can and give
us as much notice as you can. 'Man, I wish I had that on tape
now!
When I returned to Australia at the start of November,( after
leaving Samurai where there is only one public phone and no phone
cards available to use it ), I tried repeatedly to call customs
on the VHF and finally as I approached Magnetic Island by Mobile
Phone which was the only method I could raise them. As it was
3am, the night shift officer seemed unconcerned and directed
me to tie up, hoist the Q flag and wait at the Breakwater Marina.
I had just done the passage (5 days) solo and was totally knackered.
After finally arriving around 5am, I then waited for Customs.
Arriving around 9:30am, Quarantine finished their job and customs
started theirs. Customs were anything but friendly. I was clearly
knackered, but immediately after clearing me in I was informed
they were going to conduct a taped interview for the offence
of failing to give 96 hrs notice of arrival! I could hardly hear,
let alone comprehend the lengthy warning regarding my rights.
I wondered why we couldn't do this after some sleep? I was already
here wasn't I? They'd already searched the boat and cleared me
in hadn't they?
During the interview I was asked why I hadn't called them? With
what, I asked? They suggested that we should all have satellite
phones, or E-mail. I asked what was wrong with the traditional
HF radio that most off shore yachties have?
They said they didn't monitor HF, too bad try something else!
They wanted to know why I didn't email or fax from Samurai? Are
you kidding? With a coconut shell?
The interview was very, very thorough pointing out to me the
96(!) hr rule in the paperwork I was given prior to departure
which differed from the photocopied sheet I was shown at the
office in Townsville prior to departure.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I have received no process
at this stage and as I was interviewed in November, I would have
expected process to be served by now if it was going to be. I
would prefer to remain anonymous with regards to this fact as
I would hate to see Customs get upset and decide to proceed and
charge me after all. I have watched closely the stories of others
who have been less fortunate than myself with disgust.

I found recently: http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/marine/hf_radio_survey/hf_survey_report.shtml#summary
A survey conducted by the Bureau of meteorology gathering information
relating to their HF radio service. It had some interesting statistics
in it. Of all the vessels surveyed 71% were the yachting community.
They asked this question... Apart from the HF radio service,
what other ways are available to you to obtain your marine weather
forecast and warnings whilst on the water?
A whopping 10% had internet/email! And a gigantic 3% had a satellite
phone! So, it seems at MOST 13% of us can actually comply with
their 96hr reporting rule if departing from a remote destination!
Now it seems to me if Customs were seriously concerned with the
threats this rule is designed to alleviate, they would monitor
a HF frequency (They claim to already monitor VHF, so someone
is there listening already) and close to 87% of us would be able
to comply with ease and with a far more accurate ETA.

Whilst in PNG this trip, I was approached by a man who wanted
me to smuggle cannabis and gold into Australia. I feigned basic
interest, collected information and passed it to customs in Townsville
just prior to being interviewed, before being aware I had broken
the 96 hr law and was about to be interviewed. I would never
do such a thing again.
Customs have successfully alienated me, and probably every other
arriving yachtie they have had contact with in 2006. I had no
such experience in 2003 when Customs were helpful. It seems a
culture of fear and distrust has permeated the Customs department
in Australia based on our own fear of terrorism approaching or
shores. I think as a nation we have simply been blinded by this
irrational fear and it's doing us no good at all. It is surprising
though that Customs hasn't recognized that the best people to
help them allay their own fears.... is us!

Who better to be the eyes and ears on the periphery of Australia's
coast watch, and to see and hear where the Australian Customs
cannot, than the arriving yachts themselves? Customs promote
this with their stickers asking us to call them. Maybe their
PR department doesn't talk to their field guys.

Anyway, that's my story. I'm headed for Samurai, Louissiades
and the Solomon's again this year and will be asking the Customs
office in Cairns for specific directions of how to comply with
the 96hr law when returning this year. I can't wait to record
that conversation! Maybe they'll suggest that as 87% of us can't
comply, we shouldn't go..... And then we'll loose yet another
freedom to our own state sponsored terrorism!

Cheers,
Another boatie who wishes NOT to be named

From TCP 26

G'day Bob,

MY BEEF IS THAT THE LAWS MAKE IT DIFFICULT
FOR SOME COMMERCIAL SHIPPING AND YACHTS TO COMPLY WITH.

A couple of points:
*Customs have again omitted to mention the 10 day maximum as
per stated in a recent media release. Considering it can take
more than 10 days from the Pacific, it is impossible for some
Yachts to comply with the 96 Hour rule.

*Prior to 2005, yachts could register arrival
details via HF radio 48 hours prior. Why do customs not answer
HF calls 96 hours prior to arrival? If customs answered HF calls
not only would they be doing a better job at protecting Australia's
borders, but would also seem friendlier to the incoming tourists
and it would enable customs to keep better tabs on who is where
and doing what.

*Customs point to their web site! Fair
enough! Why, considering the $200-300 million spent on up grading
the customs computer systems, is the web site not to easier to
navigate? Why can it not be accessed in different languages?
(it would cost a couple of hundred dollars) Why does the immigration
web site mention the 10 day rule but not the customs web site
its self? (correct as of about a month ago should double check)

*The rules for commercial shipping and
yachts are the same, yet not the same. According to the retired
Chairman, Bob Gosling, of Customs and Forwarders Council of Australia
inc. CBFCA for short. www.cbfca.com.au "We have the same
cargo reporting problems as the boaties do .. a ship can sail
from NZ and be in Sydney or Melbourne in days. The shipping companies
issue bills of lading only once the ship has sailed. So chuck
in a weekend / public holiday and you have no hope in hell to
pre report to Customs the way they have rules. Each
offence is a A$1200 fine. As an industry, we are fighting this
and have even sent a study group of Shipping Australia, Customs,
Brokers and Forwarders to Europe and USA to compare and review
systems."

*So it seems that even commercial shipping
can not comply with the 96 hour rule! Yet they have negotiated
a $1200 fine for each offence, whereas yachts are paying tens
of thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees. So the laws
are not the same for yachts as commercial shipping because the
penalties are applied differently. If this is not singling out
yachts then I am not sure what is! (surely Australian courts
have a big enough back log already so why not $1200 fine, that
hurts enough)

*It seems that customs can loose yachts
emails and do on a very regular basis and considering emails
are not considered legal documents what are there worth anyway.
Suggestion:
However, we have about 100 mailing addresses. Just to make sure
we comply with the 96 hour rule we will ask 100 third parties
to forward our details to customs over a period of 10 days, just
in case it takes us more than 10 days to sail to oz.

Lets see .100 emails = 100 over ten
days = 1000 by 700 yachts that's 7 million emails for customs
to read. Add the 20,000 commercial vessels and that could keep
customs Canberra occupied with about 207 million emails per annum.
Best to be sure to comply.

Cheers for now,
A boatie who wishes not to be identified...

PS: Talking to one of the sailors in the
TransTasman race last night told me that the last boat arrived
on ANZAC day and because AQIS is now a private company they charged
the race organisers $1600 to clear the boat. Imagine if the boat
owner had to pay this personally. Just thought I would let you
know so that you may wish to follow this up.
The whole lot is going to pot.

From TCP 26

Dear Bob,

I have been a friend of Australia for my
whole life and even give them credit for saving my ass in China
in 1989. After reading the stories of robbery on the high seas
by over zealous custom and court officials I have decided to
avoid Australia on my round the world cruise starting in 2008
from San Francisco. My money will go elsewhere. I am planning
a trip for the adventure and fun that it will bring me. I have
spent eight years in the Coast Guard and Navy special forces
fighting assholes that Australians want to keep out. That is
fine but I don't need to be embezzled by crooked judges and custom
officials anywhere anytime.
Hopefully if thousands of tourists forget about Australia and
go to New Zealand the powers that be, will find the all mighty
buck might change there ways. The world community is small since
the internet. One good posting on the web can destroy ten years
of tourist promoting by the government. The bad part, is Australian
citizens who in my opinion are some of the finest people on Earth
and would suffer by a few pricks in power.
I am not afraid to use my name because no matter where you are,
a crook is a crook. There is no difference between a customs
official and a pirate except the customs official is a using
his authority to steal, lie and ruin peoples lives and a pirate
has some honour by telling you he is going to rob you before
he fires the cannon.

Nick Edgecomb,
Yacht Diastole, California USA

From TCP 24

Dear Bob,

My partner, Mick and I are enroute to Australia
from New York. We felt compelled to write and tell you our story,
because TCP found us in Raiatea, near Tahiti in French Polynesia,
so your rag is well travelled! We flew to N.Y. on the 19 April,
2006 to pick up our yacht and hoped to be home within 4 or 5
months but, as with some "new" second hand yachts,
we had many and varied, rather interesting problems, including
losing our rudder enroute to Marquises from Galapogas, 360nm
off shore. But that is another story.
An American bloke we met who flew in from Oz on his way to USA
gave us TCP to read this week (5/3) as he was stunned when he
read the bit about clearing in and quite frankly, we didn't believe
him. Man, we were dumbfounded, for want of a better word, couldn't
believe what we were reading!! We had no idea this rule existed
and had it not been for Giles and TCP we would have come home
to Oz the same way we did every other time, we would have broken
the rules and been many dollars worse off. How rude is that?
If they really must change the rules so be it but what about
some common sense? Yachties don't pose a problem. We love Australia
and have been singing its praises all the way from N.Y., honestly,
we believe it to be the best country. We feel so sorry for those
people who wrote in to TCP. Surely the powers that be can spot
a genuine error when they see one? Have you had a look at the
'net to read up on the rules? Anyone who isn't computer savvy
could very easily miss the bit about the time frame for entering
Australia anyway. If he had to rely on the 'net Mick would lose
out every time!
Now, on clearing in/out of USA. One would expect many dramas
with this country after 9/11, but frankly it was a breeze. We
think THEY should change their rules, maybe just a little. No
one comes to your yacht, clearing in or out. We said what happens
if we come back here? Do you check out the yacht? The answer
was no, phone in and come to the nearest customs and immigration
office, fill out the forms, answer the relevant questions, show
us your passports, get your cruising visas and off you go. WOW!!!!!!!
The guy was more concerned with swapping doctor stories than
with what was on our yacht. The point he made was, they know
before we get there that we are coming (via satellite?). It's
the old "big brother is watching you" thing. Foreign
yachts are not the problem, they look elsewhere.
It saddened our hearts to read that section of TCP. What is happening
to Australia? We think the "powers that be" really
need to look a bit further to solve the problem of terrorists
and illegals at home. This law is going to cut the number of
yachties visiting Oz and that, too, is disheartening. Giles is
a yachtie, his yacht (Petrel) is here in Raiatea on the hard.
After going home to USA he will return to sail to Australia and
he is terrified of what may happen to him.
We, too, are a little apprehensive as our yacht, "Grand
Cru", although Australian registered, is from USA. Of course,
we have to pay the duty, but will they be difficult with us too?
We'll keep you informed.
As a matter of interest, we are regular readers of TCP and it
was great to have a "little bit of home" after being
away almost a year.
Anyway, all the best, look forward to reading the next bit on
the Entry to Australia saga. Do you think they will modify the
rule?

Regards,
Brenda & Mick
SY, Grand Cru.

From TCP 24

Dear Bob,

With a sense of disbelief I have just read
the story of Magda and Bram in issue 23 of TCP. I would like
to propose an idea to you that may go a long way toward gaining
media attention on this important issue. By getting the press
behind us we can draw this to public attention and hopefully
move toward a more compassionate interpretation of customs law
for cruisers caught up in the 96 hour nightmare. What I am proposing
is that we have a fund rising to pay the fines of Magda and Bram.
I would be willing to donate a sum of say 100 dollars to get
the ball rolling. This would be a way of saying to Magda and
Bram, that we as a community and as Australians welcome you to
our country. Although customs has treated you unfairly, the cruising
community still welcomes you and supports
you. What do you think?

Jack Dunn SY, Zoa Brunk

From TCP 24

Sample letter to
Australian Customs:

From Petrea Heathwood,
SY, Talisman

RE: Notification of arrival of
yacht ...................

Dear Sir or Madam,

Persuant to your country's requirement
that I give notice of arrival at least 96 hours in advance I
write to advise the details of my planned voyage: After posting
this letter tomorrow I intend to clear outward from Noumea towards
Brisbane. Assuming I get clearance in one day and the weather
outlook remains favourable I hope to depart the following morning.
At my yacht's average speed of 4 knots the 1,000 mile voyage
could take about 10 days. Should I encounter light weather my
average speed could drop to as little as 2 knots. Depending on
the duration of the calm I may motor for some or all of the time,
raising the average back up to 4 knots while I am under power.
If the weather becomes rough I may be obliged to heave to for
the duration of the blow, thus making little or negative progress.
Should the wind turn adverse I will be forced to tack to windward,
cutting my average speed in half, or bear off for a different
port of entry.
Were this to happen, and I believe from study of the pilot charts
it is likely, I may make for either Bundaberg or Gladstone. Failing
that I may make landfall in Mackay. Therefore I am advising that
the yacht................. is to be expected at a clearance port
on the Australian coast within the next 12 to 30 days. God willing,
and barring accidents, Acts of God or enemies of the State.

Yours faithfully etc...

From TCP 24

Bob,
I know I am probably wasting your time but these customs articles
are starting to needle me, can I ask if you have sent a copy
of these articles to any of the worthwhile media in this country
(that's a small private joke) like the 7.30 report ie Kerry O'Brien?
Howards new terrorist laws scare the crap out of me and
their abuse by some of the people appointed to uphold them is
beyond comprehension ie Phillip Ruddock.
Australians should be made aware of the fact that we live in
a police state now. Please convey my apologies to those people
bullied by our customs Nazis and please let them know that Australians
aren't as bad as these clowns portray us. If I can help in any
way please let me know.
Ashamed to be Australian
Bill Naylor

From TCP 16

Boarded in our
Bundaberg Berth

Tom and Bonnie
American Sailing Vessel Toujours

We are a US documented boat, we retired
in 1997, have lived aboard for eleven years, cruised to many,
many countries in the last eight years, been in Australia the
last eighteen months, cruised the Queensland coast from Brisbane
to Cooktown, and Toujours a 1984 53' Amel is our home. We have
been in Port Bundaberg Marina since June. One of the best marina's
on the East coast of Australia.
Sunday was a beautiful sunny Queensland day. Maintenance projects
were completed for the most part and we were relaxing below.
Bonnie was reading and I was catching up on our e-mail when I
heard someone board the boat. I stepped up the companionway and
had a Customs agent right in my face. I asked her why she had
come aboard and she immediately became defensive stating, "We
can board any vessel, anywhere, and anytime." (Silly me,
I thought they had to have JUST CAUSE.) I replied that may be,
but, it is no excuse for bad manners and bad Judgment. I was
initially very angry that a stranger had the right to invade
your home. (Boating etiquette and common courtesy say; you should
knock and wait to be invited aboard. This gives the live a boards
time to put some clothes on, unentangle themselves from possibly
embarrassing situations, and be presentable to the person or
guest). Apparently Etiquette is not in their vocabulary. The
"pretense" for
the boarding was she wanted to pick up our expired cruising permit
and look at the date of the new mooring permit she had issued
less than two weeks ago. She claimed she knocked; however, I
was sitting right next to the companionway and definitely did
not hear a knock. Both of us continually asked her to get off
the boat; she refused, and it was pretty apparent that she was
thoroughly enjoying herself. Needless to say, I was quite angry,
which in retrospect, was not the best way to handle this, sarcasm
in this case would probably have been a better response. Give
them the power and they will abuse it.

The easiest thing in the world to do is
criticize anything; therefore, I try not to unless I can propose
a solution. Customs would have to do a 180 degree attitude change
and encourage cruisers to be compatriots and assist them in patrolling
the 40,000 kilometres of Australia coast instead of having an
adversarial relationship. It has the potential of multiplying
their eyes and ears by a hundred fold.

We definitely think you are doing the right
thing by bringing attention to these obnoxious practices; there
is a free sailing rag in California, Latitude 38, and they have
successfully encouraged the San Diego Harbor Police to stop harassing
anchored boats and start helping them. They have also led a successful
campaign to stop US Coast Guard arbitrary boarding's in the San
Francisco Area. They certainly have upped everyone's awareness
of bad attitudes on the part of officials. Keep up the good work.

Tom and Bonnie
Sailing Vessel Toujours

From TCP 23

From; Anne and Brian 'Hybreasail

Dear Bob,

The new rules regarding entering Australian waters need to be
looked at.
One point to consider looking at is in relation to the anti-fouling
laws. Lucky for us we had just anti-fouled our boat before leaving
for the Louisiades and I had a receipt on me for the purchase
of the anti-foul. Even though I showed them the receipt they
still put a camera under my boat and asked me had I scrubbed
the hull down before I had left the Louisiades. I said no (I
wonder what they would have done if I had said yes?).
I believe that if the hulls had not been to their liking I would
have had to take the boat out within two weeks and re: anti-
foul etc.
Another point is the 96 hours minimum notice required
by customs to enter or re-enter Australian waters. We, along
with many other yachts in the Louisiades had HF radio, a couple
of yachts had email and a couple had sat phone. The Australian
government in their wisdom decided that the HF radio would not
be monitored by them anymore and yachties who did not have email
or sat phone found it very hard to make contact with customs
in Australia. The Louisiades being the remote place that it is
had no phones in working order at the time of our departure and
email has not been invented there yet. We were lucky to have
a HF contact in Australia who contacted customs for us. Our contact
stated that the customs were very helpful but they still wanted
to know what day and what time we would be arriving (don't they
know anything about the weather). Our contact told them that
if they could guarantee 15 to 20 knots east south east with no
tidal influences then we could give them a time. Customs still
insisted that we had to make a berth booking with the Marlin
Marina before they would come and look at us, as they had no
berth of their own. I found out later that even though they do
not monitor HF radio anymore (another Australian Govt blunder)
that the customs knew what time and when we were arriving, apparently
they were listening in to my HF radio skeds with other yachties
when we were coming back from the Louisiades into Australia.
Listening but not monitoring is an interesting point. Moral of
the story is don't say anything on any radio if you don't want
it to be heard (big brother is listening).
I know of one yachty who got into trouble for not giving the
required notice, and for all I know there could be more.
The HF radio is still so important overseas, with a couple of
yachties getting together and forming a network called the dim
dim net and skeds were kept every night at 20 hundred hours.
This way we would get weather reports, and keep contact with
most of the yachts coming to, in and leaving the Louisiades,
this way we kept an eye on each-other. Similar to the Sheila
net, but much more relevant to the needs of those in the Louisiades.
Dim dim is the name given to the white man by the natives of
the Louisiades.
We had a great time in the Louisiades and would recommend it
as a sailing destination for anyone wishing to do an overseas
trip. The Papua New Guinea people are the happiest group of people
that we have ever come in contact with. They have very little,
they love to see the yachties, and are eager to trade. So take
plenty of trading goods.
Happy Sailing,
Anne and Brian 'Hybreasail

Whitsunday
Wallopers Week....

From TCP 12

(Enough #$&@#$^* Surveillance!!)
By Frank Stoove, SY Escondido

We left Brisbane in May 2003, heading north to warmer weather
and fun in
the sun. We had worked the off season to top up the cruising
kitty and make
sure everything on the boat works and the boat does it's main
job, keeping
the water out.
All the usual hurry and bustle in preparation for the trip included
a quick
check of the safety equipment. Current year Queensland
Registration, date
stamped flares, date stamped fire extinguishers, date stamped
EPIRB
It is important in Queensland waters to be kept safe from bureaucratic
aggravation, so we toe the line of least resistance and pay.
By the time we arrive in the 'Whits' in August we are fairly
laid back.
Good company, good weather and good anchorages in the occasional
blow
have
been the theme for this cruise. Apart from a pesky back injury
and some
Minor maintenance, we have suffered very few problems or financial
setbacks this year.
So here we are in paradise, it is Sunday, the anchorage at Burning
Point is
calm as can be. About eight boats nicely spread in the bay, it
does not get
much better than this. Except, as the philosopher once said,
you have to pay
your dues.

A large planing hull launch came round the corner, the word
PATROL
emblazoned on the side. 'The Revenuers' had arrived. Being fine
and calm
and race week, the opportunity for a little extra by way of a
Sunday penalty
pay had brought the Queensland Navy out of harbour.
First job, bring the big boat in and lurk around the anchorage
while the
anonymity afforded by the reflective glass wheelhouse allows
the troops to
survey their likely targets. After the initial intimidation tactic,
launch the
tender and attempt to board every vessel in the anchorage. The
object being
to officially extort enough money from rat race escapees to pay
for the day
out.

The next day, still wondering how such an expensive operation
in equipment
and time can possibly pay, or achieve any improvement in safety,
we begin
to hear a new intrusion into our sense of freedom. The VHF is
alive, on
channel 16 an authoritative voice from Australian Customs Vessel
Dame
Rona Mitchell interrogates each passing sailing boat between
Cape Conway
and Shaw Island, in the Whitsunday Passage, as to their identity,
skippers
name, port of registry, last port of call and where bound? The
previous day's
experience has still not receded from my mind, and the intrusion
on the
radio raises my blood pressure. Then, 'round the corner', at
high speed,
comes a 25' RIB, seven people all facing forward with a distinct
military
look about them. Coming alongside each vessel in the anchorage
the crew
are certainly intimidating in appearance with their navy uniforms,
flak
jackets, dark glasses and side arms.

The Customs Service it seems is just showing the flag. As
they come
alongside they have every appearance of being the SAS team about
to board
the 'Tampa'. The person in charge says they are just on an informal
visit,
nothing formal, he says with a dismissive wave as
I enquire what can we
do for you sir. His pistol and flak jacket must be ideal morning
tea attire.
Then the brief interrogation by the female crew member about
registration,
origin, destination and a shouted query from the rear as to whether
we
personally own the yacht. That's it then, and the coxswain opens
full throttle
away from us to have a 'little chat' with the trailer sailer
on the beach.

As the goons race from boat to boat in the anchorage,I am
once again given
cause to wonder if I am in the same country I grew up in. Furious
with the
intrusion, we decide to head up to Cid Harbour. The afternoon
seabreeze gets
us past Dent Island and we motor into Cid that night about 8PM.
We rise to a beautiful calm morning. Prepare a fruit breakfast
and a cup of
coffee and up into the cockpit to watch the sun come over the
Whitsunday
Peak and fill the bay with light. To my dismay the first boat
lit by the sun is
the 'Dame Rona Mitchell', Customs Vessel, 120' of grey menace.
This bay
has about 40 boats in it this morning, all waiting for an informal
visit from
the government's border protection policy. This is not 'Aunty',
the
entertainment offered is surely costing us more than '8 cents
a day'!
Sure enough by morning tea time the wallopers are out in their
'tender'.
But this time the tone is a little lighter. Three men in navy
T-shirts with
inflatable life vests. Same questions, god knows what Godfrey
Urban the
bare boat charter skipper will make of them, Good morning
sir, what is
your home port? Um, Directors Special?

Three days in a row we have had the pleasure of official intrusion,
enough
is enough! But wait, is that the Quarantine service I see? Sure
enough, Race
Week in the Whitsundays is too much temptation for the most dedicated
of
bureaucrats with a boat. AQIS is out and about too! Do we intend
to travel
overseas? Have we been to Torres Strait? Do you intend to go
to Torres
Strait? And on and on and on.

Surely there is a way to encourage safe boating and citizenship
without the
expense and aggravation of trying to run a police state. If spin
doctors could
be released from their political duties to provide a few clues
to bureaucracy
about public relations and effective message communication, I
am sure the
cost of running the Queensland Navy (Boating and Fisheries, National
Parks Service), Water Police, Customs, VMR, AQIS, could be reduced
to one or two small police vessels in each port, and a man at
the boat ramp,
with a brief to enforce and advise rather than try to treat us
all as potential
criminals. Leave the Navy to transport Customs and Immigration
and
Quarantine, how many admirals can we afford? Local vigilance
and
communication instead of bureaucratic empire building.